Effective Exercises to Ease Lower Back Pain in 2024

Written by: Angeline T.

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Time to read 4 min

Overview

What is Lower Back Pain?

      About 28% of Americans in 2022 suffer from lower back pain. About 44% of those with chronic low back pain said they had experienced the pain for five years or more, and many of them said it hurt their quality of life. Long-term standing difficulties, decreased ability to exercise or walk, and poor sleep quality are the common side effects of chronic low back pain. Thus, it is important to ease lower back pain even in simple ways.


      Lower Back Pain may be caused by numerous illnesses, injuries, and disorders, however, back injuries to the muscles or tendons and poor posture are the most common causes. The pain is usually characterized by a sharp, dull, and aching pain that reaches up to the back of the leg. If the pain is caused by exercise or activity, a popping sound can be heard as it occurs. Pain usually gets better when you lie down, and it usually gets worse in specific positions (like bending over).


man with lower back pain

Exercise to Ease Lower Back Pain

     Most lower back pain is treatable with rest, ice, avoiding postures and activities that aggravate the condition, and taking over-the-counter painkillers as needed. However, there are also exercises to ease lower back pain that you can do at home.


     It's crucial that you practice gentle activities without letting your fear of discomfort stop you. As soon as you feel pain, you should try to get moving and then progressively increase how active you are. Loss of strength, endurance, and flexibility brought on by inactivity can exacerbate existing discomfort. These activities can help ease lower back pain. 

Exercise to Ease Lower Back Pain through Standing

1. Supported Bridge

     Among all the yoga poses, the bridge pose is one of the most advantageous. It strengthens the posterior chain, increases chest opening, relaxes hip flexors, and helps lessen knee, lower back, and upper back discomfort. To perform the supported bridge, utilize a firm cushion or foam roller. This posture uses supported elevation to help ease lower back pain. 

2. Backbends

     Backbends strengthen the back of the body while stretching the front. They are excellent for enhancing spinal mobility, helping to ease lower back pain, enhancing posture, stimulating the posterior chain, and enhancing breathing capacity.


     Backbends enhance both your physical and mental health. From a physical standpoint, they counter daily activities that require bending forward or sacrificing alignment and posture. Your body may experience pain and misalignments as a result of movements, inactive postures, and gravity. You can help your body regain equilibrium by doing backbends. In addition, the energizing properties of backbends heat and stimulate your body, relieve weariness, and ease lower back pain.

woman doing a backward bend stretch

3. Prone Press-Ups

     Prone press-ups also aid in reestablishing the natural curve of your lower back. It is performed by placing your hands flat on the floor beneath your shoulders while you are on your stomach as if you were preparing to do a push-up. Elevate your shoulders while allowing your hips and lower back to unwind. As you press up, your hips should stay in contact with the floor. After one or two seconds, hold the final position and then fully return to the beginning position. Repeating this exercise can help ease lower back pain. 

Exercise to Ease Lower Back Paint through Sitting

1. Double Chest to Knee

      The double knee-to-chest stretches ease lower back pain by releasing some of the pressure from the lumbar vertebrae, gradually stretching out the back muscles, and ease lower back pain. The seated knee-to-chest stretch is a simple stretching exercise that helps loosen tight muscles in the hip and lower back region. It involves bringing one knee toward your chest while in a seated position.

2. Seated Hamstring Stretch

     Lower back discomfort and injuries are commonly associated with hamstring tightness. By stretching your hamstring muscles, you may decompress and unwind in your spine and ease lower back pain. 

Other Exercise to Try

1. Pelvic Tilt Exercise

     Some of these core muscles are intended to be strengthened by pelvic tilt exercises. The transverse abdominis, the deepest of the abdominal muscles, which provides support to the spine, and the multifidus, which extends and rotates the spine, are the two specific abdominal muscles that are most used in this exercise. A pelvic tilt exercise involves tilting your pelvis forward and backward while lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. It’s designed to stretch and strengthen the muscles in your lower back and core.

2. Trunk Rotation Exercise

     One kind of strengthening exercise that targets particular upper body areas is the trunk rotation. Trunk rotation increases spine mobility and strengthens, stabilizes, and stretches the core. It also helps to ease lower back pain. For those who suffer from back discomfort, increasing trunk mobility and developing trunk control skills can be quite advantageous.

Tips to Ease Lower Back Pain

     There are other ways on how to ease lower back pain apart from exercise. One of which is to get a massage like Swedish or Hot Stone Massage. These massages help ease the tension in the body thus helping ease lower back pain.


      Another way to ease lower back pain is to maintain proper posture. Poor posture especially while sitting causes spinal pressure in your lower spine. If sitting for a long time is unavoidable, try standing up and taking a walk every hour. Avoiding poor posture helps ease lower back pain.


     Use a cold compress to ease lower back pain. Try pressing a cold towel on your lower back thrice daily. This is a common practice that is often overlooked but also very effective. 


      Lastly, look for a comfortable mattress that can ease back pain. Memory foam mattresses can help ease lower back pain since they adjust to the natural curves of the body. It provides the right amount of cushioning to promote spinal alignment.